Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared the General Assembly’s 441st session to be the “Accountability Session,” saying Tuesday he would introduce legislation to crack down on violent criminals amid a surging homicide rate in Baltimore and to punish corrupt state lawmakers after a recent spate of convictions.
At the same time, Hogan brushed off questions from reporters and some Democratic lawmakers about his transparency and ethics as he continues to make hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from real estate deals managed by a trust, approved by the State Ethics Commission, and run by his associates.
“No one has ever been more transparent,” Hogan said in response to questions at a news conference at the State House. “No elected official has ever disclosed more than I have.”
The Republican governor, now in his second, four-year term, continues to be a popular figure in Maryland. Hogan had a 75% approval rating in a survey of likely voters released Tuesday by Gonzales Research & Media Services, an independent polling firm.